MPPEB scam: Over 100 students arrested in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, June 19: Over 100 students who allegedly cleared the Pre-Medical Test (PMT) through unfair means have been arrested by the Special Task Force from different districts of Madhya Pradesh, STF sources said Thursday.

The students were arrested since yesterday from various places in the state, they said.

The PMT was conducted by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) whose top officials were already arrested by the STF since the scam surfaced in 2013.

"The figure would go up as arrests are continuing even today, but so far over 100 medical students have been arrested by the STF in connection with the PMT scam," an STF official said today.

The arrests were carried out after Madhya Pradesh High Court, which is monitoring the scam, directed the STF to submit a status report in the matter on June 30, sources said.

The arrests were made from different districts, including Indore, Dhar, Jhabua, Khargone, Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur and Sagar, after state Director General of Police directed all the district police chiefs in this regard.

During a recent hearing, the High Court had taken a strong view and asked police why high and mighty and absconding accused persons in connection with the scam were not yet arrested by the STF, sources said.

Following this, the STF had arrested former state technical education minister and BJP leader Laxmikant Sharma on June 15 for his alleged involvement in the contractual teachers recruitment scam.

The contractual teachers examination too was conducted by the MPPEB.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in MP Assembly Satyadev Katare has demanded from the government to handover the case to CBI in view of involvement of powerful persons in the scam.

PTI